Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-01-07
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THE CIRCUS IN WINTER.
A YOUNG LADY IN TRAINING AS AN
EQUESTRIAN PERFORMER.
Dangling from the Arm of Gibbes.
"knee Work. for MISUNDERSTANDING
Novice the Desired Motions Which
Add Grace to the Rider.

a Novice the Desired Motions Which,
Add Grace to the Rider
A broad-backed white horse, with a silver
silk name and one of those billowy tails
rarely met with in real life, cantercd into
the ring. There was an arch in his swan
neck and proud carriage of his head never
seen outside OF the circus ring A white
corded girth secured a pad on bis back, and
the lines leading to his bit were OF blue silk,
frayed and soiled.
Then the invaluable young animal, whose
capacity for taking up tricks was linlitlesi,
came on She pushed aside the calico hang
ings at the curtained doorway and walked to
the horses side She was girl, with big
bunch Of yellow hair on the top OF her head,
a pretty pink and white face and blue fan
nel bloomer costume cut high in the neck,
ample as to skirt and ending in q pair of
Turkish trousers gathered in at the ankles.
Il amt a-going TO do no knee work to-dIy,"
she said stoutly, when Dir. Marks had swung
her light figure to q seat on the pad. She at
once lifted herself from a sitting posture to
her feet and proceeded to clasp a snap-bucllle
into an iron ring which was sewed to the belt
about her waist The snap-buckle was at the
end of rope dangling from a gibbet-lile
arm above.
sAu right" remarked Mr.. Marks, zone,
two, three and away you 60"
He cracked the long whip in his hand with
a report like pistol shot, and winlled at the
writer oat of the tail of his eye.
DANGLING FROM THE GIBBET.
'Now You viii see some fun, he whispered.
@The first few rounds of the ring ought al
ways to lie taken by the beginner on her
knees 1t is quite as secure a position as sit
ting, and it is almost Indispensable in catch
ing the horses gait; but mademoselle knows
better than do. and although she has only
taken three lessons you have heard her pro-
pose to give up knee work altogethcr-ah, (
thought So
For the first half dozen yards mademoisello
went bravely on. Her sippered feet kept
their hold on the pad, and although her body
swayed dangerously with every move of the
gently looping horse she braced herself by
bearing upon the bride, and seemed deter
mined to vindicate her judgment in abandon
ing ''llnee work at this early stage Of the
game But with every yard the sWaying
grew more pronounced and her balance moro
prccarious, until suddenly with shrek she
fell \ fall of some five feet, while in an
erect position on the back of a moving horse,
might easily be fatal, especially when The
horses feet are shod with iron and the faller
alights in his path.
But madcmoiselle did not fail far. The
rope dangling from the gibbet arm held her
suspended from the middle in the air, like q
captive frog, kicking with arms and legs and
making some vigorous remarks with her
tongue until the horse had completed the
rings circuit and once more placed his back
beneath her for her support.
"Now, you see" mildly began the trainer,
as he helped her again t. her stand.
"No, L don't soe,' she snapped. Il can
ride this horse without no more knee work,
and I'm a-going to do it"
Which she proceeded to do, taking an in
voluntary and painless hanging at irregular
intervals but clinging to the work with a
grit and pertinacity which excited Mr..
Marks unqualified admiration
TEACHING DESIRED MOTIONS.
'Let her keep on and she can command SO
week when the next season opens" lie said,
"from so to $50 is the average weekly sti-
pend for riders of from two TO five years ex-
perience, and rs it requires winter practice,
when, Of course, no salary is paid, the work
is worth the money. Al young riders begin
by riding on their knees. When they can so
around The ring confidently in this position
they must rise to their feet for a second, then
down on their knees again, up and down, up
and down thousand times. Finally the
young lady is able to stand erect with fair
degree of confidence, and now, when 10 doubt
you imagine the hardest part of the task to
be oyer, my work begins in earnest.
~ human being standing on Il horses
back is naturally an awkward animal The
girls want to 20 about the ring with their
hands and arms either hanging like
pump handles at their sides, o.
else launched out violently every
other minute in an effort at Keeping
their balance, the whole effect being stilf aad
ungracoful. | must teach them every de-
sired motion ard have names for each L.o-
ton, 50 that when | call for it the rider VIII
know exactly what is wanted. For instance,
when | call for foot back she is required to
throw one foot behind her, resting its toe
gracefully on the horses back There are
several kinds of foot back and foot front,
each Of which must be learned thoroughly
never put beginner at stand-up riding on
walking horse; the Looping gait is much
easier 10 ride. Ii requires considerable prac-
tee 70 stand on . walking horse, and ALSO
lutte genius to keepa foothold when the ami
nal is trotting.
There is more work in the matter Of pre-
pairing circus for the road than people inn
agine. and what with taking care OF the ami
mails, training them, regilding tie band
wagons and deus and mapping out routes we
are all kept in seclusion from the time we
turn il in November until we turn out with
tire flowers that bloom in the-chestnut -
Henry Newport in Detroit Free Press.